Top 10 performances in Twin Peaks: The Return?

1. Kyle MacLachlan
2. Naomi Watts
3. Laura Dern
4. Jennifer Jason Leigh
5. Sheryl Lee
6. Matthew Lillard
7. Grace Zabriskie
8. Tom Sizemore
9. Russ Tamblyn
10. Jim Belushi, tbh

hm: Michael Horse, Dana Ashbrook, Amanda Seyfried, Harry Dean Stanton, Tim Roth, Don Murray

1. Kyle MacLachlan
2. Naomi Watts
3. Laura Dern
4. Jim Belushi (what a pleasant surprise he was, just about every line delivery he gave for the last 6 episodes made me laugh)
5. Grace Zabriskie
6. Matthew Lillard
7. Dana Ashbrook
8. Sheryl Lee
9. Harry Dean Stanton
10. Robert Forster

HM: David Lynch, Tim Roth, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Tom Sizemore

1. Kyle MacLachlan
2. Laura Dern
3. Naomi Watts
4. David Lynch
5. Grace Zabriskie
6. Jim Belushi
7. Dana Ashbrook
8. Matthew Lillard
9. Sheryl lee
10. David Patrick Kelly

HM: Miguel Ferrer, Harry Dean Stanton, Amanda Seyfried, Jennifer Jason Leigh & Catherine E. Coulson

Not really in order, but definitely this group of ten -

Kyle MacLachlan
Sheryl Lee
Grace Zabriskie
Balthazar Getty
Eamon Farren
Amanda Seyfried
Dana Ashbrook
Amy Shiels 
David Lynch
Miguel Ferrer

01. Kyle MacLachlan
02. Laura Dern
03. Naomi Watts
04. Grace Zabriskie 
05. Sheryl Lee
06. Sherilyn Fenn
07. Catherine Coulson
08. James Belushi & Robert Knepper
09. David Lynch
10. Miguel Ferrer
11. Harry Dean Stanton

Holy shit. I guess I'll be the one to break the McLachlan streak:

01. Dana Ashbrook.
02. Matthew Lillard.
03. Kyle MacLachlan.
04. Naomi Watts.
05. David Lynch.
06. Harry Dean Stanton.
07. Jim Belushi & Robert Knepper.
08. Sheryl Lee.
09. Miguel Ferrer.
10. Grace Zabriskie.

HM: Michael Horse; Richard Beymer; Robert Forster; Catherine Coulson.

Yeah, I honestly didn't understand why everyone was throwing around "all-time great" for MacLachlan before those last three episodes when Cooper returned. He was adorable, but incredibly one-dimensional as Dougie (not his fault, of course, but I wouldn't say it was a particularly difficult feat acting-wise). If anything, as the Evil Doppelganger, he was fantastic, but after a while it became as repetitive as Dougie for me. But those last three episodes proved why his original Dale Cooper was one of my top 3 all-time leading performances in television. He was able to play him in an entirely new way, perfectly making this believable transition into a hardened, obsessive, world-worn Cooper that dominated those final three episodes. For that, he managed to work his way up to the top 3. Perhaps a re-watch in time will help me to see what you all see...

But for now, Ashbrook and Lillard are the biggest surprises for me. It could help that I have never liked their acting before (I think when I used to give rankings of cast lists back in the day when I watched the original series, Ashbrook constantly made the bottom 3 as Bobby Briggs). But Ashbrook performed a complete 180 and offered the most wholesome performance on the show for me. His screen time was severely limited, but literally every frame with him in it oozed with emotion that added a warmth to the show that was desperately needed. He hit every note perfectly and I knew I was going to witness something special with him when he randomly made me teary-eyed the very first time we were introduced to him again, looking at the photo of Laura at the police station.

As for Lillard, he would probably be the actual MVP of the show if it weren't for the obviously very limited screen time. Every single scene he was in, he blew everyone else away. I never thought, of all the actors, he would be perfectly suited for Lynch's style than the rest. But he nailed it. Never knew he had it in him.

As for the rest, Watts isn't all-time great, but she played a pretty nothing role with a lot of kick-ass fury to it; Lynch & Ferrer both reminded me why they were my two favorite guest stars in the original series, but offering a much more profound depth to them than I expected, especially the former; Stanton was another bright spot that had very little on paper but made up for it in evoking a lot of that same world-worn emotion; Belushi & Knepper get a double-bill for being two of the most consistently funny supporting characters whose comic chemistry is as strong as the likes of Laurel & Hardy or Abbott & Costello.

I honestly want to give Sheryl Lee my #1 spot simply for the finale alone. It could help that her performance in Fire Walk with Me is one of my top 10 all-time performances in Lead Actress, but she both reinvented and invented a character from scratch and showed she still had the same chops as she always had. Her final moments were some of the most well-acted in the entire series, especially for how convincing and haunting she made all the absurdity feel.

So yeah. The only ones I really hated were Kimmy Robertson & Harry Goaz (Lucy & Andy). It just seemed like they forgot completely how to act since 25 years ago (not that they were superstars then either, but at least they fit well within the show and added comic relief). It's pretty bad when James Marshall, of all people, out-acts you. In fact, I had no complaints with him at all this season. I also really disliked Sherilyn Fenn, but I mostly blame her writing.

The one I don't get is Laura Dern. Everyone making a huge fuss over a pretty one-note performance. I mean, at least she impressed a bit in the finale, and her breakdown outside of the prison after seeing Evil Cooper. But even then, it wasn't enough to make me go "wow, all-time great" like everyone else has been saying.

Again... Who knows. I'll most likely be re-watching it in the future after I let my brain settle for a bit and maybe I'll finally see what you all see. I'd sure like to. Great ensemble overall, though. Nothing all-time worthy like the original series (MacLachlan, Wise, and Fenn all are in my top 5 in their respective categories. Wise is even my win for Drama series), but they all worked really well for the show. The MVP was Lynch the Director and that is all that matters.

So happy for the Catherine E. Coulson mentions. Her last phone call to Hawk might be the most heartbreaking and moving moment of the entire season. The Log Lady is one of the best tv characters ever!

RIP Miss Coulson, and thank you for everything.

01 Kyle MacLachlan
02 Catherine E. Coulson
03 Laura Dern
04 David Lynch
05 Naomi Watts
06 Grace Zabriskie
07 Matthew Lillard
08 Dana Ashbrook
09 Sherilyn Fenn
10 Miguel Ferrer

HM's: Amy Shiels, Miguel Ferrer, Jim Belushi, Harry Dean Stanton, Caleb Landry Jones, Russ Tamblyn, Robert Knepper, Jake Wardle & many more.

Kyle MacLachlan
Grace Zabriskie
Matthew Lillard
Michael Horse
Robert Forster
David Lynch
Catherine E. Coulson
Naomi Watts
Jim Belushi
Sheryl Lee (for the finale alone)

Honorable mentions
Jennifer Jason Leigh
Amy Shiels
Madeline Zima
Harry Dean Stanton
Laura Dern
Dana Ashbrook

Dishonorable mentions
Harry Goaz
Michael Cera
Kimmy Robertson
Chrysta Bell

^ No idea how I forgot Amy Shiels. She definitely belongs on the list.

1. Kyle MacLachlan (couldn't really be anyone else)
2. Catherine E. Coulson
3. Grace Zabriskie
4. Matthew Lillard
5. Laura Dern
6. Harry Dean Stanton
7. Patrick Fischler
8. Robert Forster
9. Amy Shiels
10. David Lynch

HM: Naomi Watts, Eamon Farren, Dana Ashbrook, Miguel Ferrer, Michael Horse, Sheryl Lee, Carel Struycken, David Patrick Kelly, and pretty much the entire cast.

1. Kyle MacLachlan
2. Naomi Watts
3. Catherine E. Coulson
4. Matthew Lillard
5. Laura Dern
6. Grace Zabriskie
7. Jim Belushi & Robert Knepper
8. Harry Dean Stanton
9. Miguel Ferrer
10. Sheryl Lee

HM: Don Murray, Dana Ashbrook, Robert Forster, Richard Beymer, Amy Shiels